The installation of the new Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco today will come amid protests about his role in California’s Proposition 8 campaign in 2008.
Salvatore Cordileone will be installed as archbishop this afternoon at St. Mary’s Cathedral after being appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in July to replace George Niederauer, who is retiring.
LGBT groups will be protesting outside the church because of Cordileone’s support of Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage that was passed by California voters four years ago.
“We do not support his anti-equality message or the work he does to deny legal rights to our families,” Billy Bradford of Marriage Equality USA said in a statement. “The harm done to our community by Salvatore Cordileone cannot go unchallenged.”
Today’s installation is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the church, located at 1111 Gough St., with protesters planning to gather there at 1 p.m.
Cordileone has had a rocky few months since his appointment. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in San Diego in August, and issued a statement apologizing for his “error in judgment” and “the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself.”
He is due back in court in that case next week.
His installation also brought skeptical comments from some members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors at their meeting earlier this week.
Supervisor Christina Olague, who identifies herself as bisexual, said she was disappointed that the church would appoint “a person who has shown a great deal of intolerance for our community.”
Supervisor David Campos, who is gay, also noted what he said were divisive statements by Cordileone, but said, “I hope we can find some common ground.”
Cordileone has served as bishop of Oakland since 2009 after serving as an auxiliary bishop in San Diego and spending time in Rome, Costa Mesa and Calexico.
Besides the city, the Archdiocese of San Francisco also includes San Mateo and Marin counties. The archbishop oversees the dioceses of Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Reno, Salt Lake City and Honolulu.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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